


All In The Family

by MissMouse1421



Series: Finding a Balance [7]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Established Relationship, Finding a Balance Sequel, Multi, Naruto and Itachi bonding, Opening Up Emotionally, Platonic Dinner Dates, Sasuke and Hinata bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-14 09:08:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9172615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMouse1421/pseuds/MissMouse1421
Summary: "I'm going to win over your brother," Naruto said, completely throwing the youngest Uchiha off guard."Excuse me?"





	

When Naruto’s cell phone went off in his pocket, Itachi’s voice coming through the speaker was the last thing he expected to hear. “Hello, Naruto. It’s Itachi.”

“Uh, h-hey, Itachi.” Naruto silently cursed himself for letting his nervousness show. Even on the phone Itachi sounded intimidating. After their first unfortunate encounter, Naruto was too embarrassed to face the eldest Uchiha. They had run into each other every now and then during his visits with Sasuke, but Naruto would always find an excuse to leave to avoid making a complete ass out of himself like last time. “How have you been?” Itachi asked calm as ever. “I’m doing well. I mean, I can’t complain. And yourself...?”

 _I’m doing well? And yourself?_ Since when did he talk like such a stiff? It sounded so proper and formal. Obviously it was put on. Itachi already knew he was an idiot. Pretending to be anything else was just pathetic at this point.

“Very well, thank you,” Itachi replied curtly, snapping Naruto back into their conversation. A short pause followed Itachi’s reply. Naruto swallowed and nervously started tugging at the hem of his shirt before bravely breaking the silence. “Is there something I can do for you? Are you trying to get a hold of Sasuke?” In the beginning of their relationship, Sasuke had informed Naruto that he had given Itachi his number in case there was an emergency and Itachi needed to be contacted or visa versa. Naruto had done the same, and added his parent’s home number into Sasuke’s contacts, just in case.

“No. Actually, I have a request for you.”

“Me…?” Naruto gulped.

“Yes, I was wondering if you would be interested in joining me for dinner this evening.”

“Oh. Yeah. Sure. I don’t think we have any plans. I’ll just go double check with Sasuke and then we can—”

“Not Sasuke. Just you.”

For a moment, the blonde thought Itachi was messing with him. After thinking about it, Naruto decided it was very unlikely that this person would make a joke like this; or any joke at all, for that matter. Itachi remained silent as he waited for him to respond, proving that he was in fact completely serious. Naruto felt as if he had been pushed out onto a stage in front of thousands of people with his pants around his ankles. Itachi just had this way of saying things… He was so blunt. It made Naruto feel like an animal trapped inside of a cage. He put him on the spot, and although Naruto usually shinned in the lime light, this wasn’t the kind of attention he was prepared for.

The blonde sputtered for an appropriate response. “W-with me…? I, uh… Are you sure?” To Naruto’s surprise, Itachi let out a small chuckle that somehow managed to calm his nerves a little. “Yes, I am sure. I haven’t really had the opportunity to get to know you very well since you started dating my brother. I would like to change that.” Guilt swept over the blonde’s conscience. Itachi sounded genuinely interested in spending time with him. Meanwhile, Naruto had been purposefully avoiding him for fear of further embarrassment. He knew Sasuke wanted him and his brother to get along. Naruto liked to think that eventually they would, but he certainly didn’t expect Itachi to make the first move.

Another moment of silence passed until Itachi finally asked, “Naruto? Are you still there?” The blonde shook his head to snap himself out of his shocked state. “O-oh! Yeah, my bad. Uh, yeah. Dinner would be great. Thanks.”

“Excellent. I should be there in about half an hour.” Naruto nodded despite the fact that no one was around to see it. “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.” Itachi could hear it in his voice that Naruto was uncomfortable so he took pity on the blonde and hung up first.

Naruto stuffed his cell phone back into his pocket while letting out a deep sigh. He still didn’t fully trust himself around Itachi, but he wasn’t nearly as nervous as he was the first time they met. Back then, he felt like he needed Itachi’s approval to be able to spend time with Sasuke. And although he still wanted the eldest Uchiha’s approval, he knew that he didn’t necessarily need it anymore. He knew Sasuke would love him whether is brother liked him or not. Then again, maybe he was just being arrogant. After all, Itachi had been the most important person in Sasuke’s life until he had shown up. He knew if things stayed the same between them it would only hurt Sasuke in the long run. Naruto had no intention of letting Sasuke down.

This is Naruto Uzumaki we’re talking about. If he could make Sasuke Uchiha fall in love with him then he could befriend his older brother no problem.

Naruto quickly walked out of this bedroom and found Sasuke trying to decide what to make for dinner in the kitchen. The Uchiha stopped what he was doing when Naruto came into the room. From the look on the blonde’s face, Sasuke knew he was up to something. "What did you do?" Sasuke asked suspiciously. "Huh? Nothing."

"You've got that look," Sasuke continued to push.

"What look?"

"That I'm on a mission look." Naruto couldn’t stop himself from grinning. He loved how Sasuke knew him so well. "It's not what I did. It's what I'm going to do," the blonde announced with a proud smirk. The Uchiha felt himself grimace as he asked, "What are you going to do?"

Sasuke watched as his boyfriend lifted up his chin in a display of confidence. "I'm going to win over your brother," he said, completely throwing the youngest Uchiha off guard. This was the last thing Sasuke expected to hear from the blonde and it showed from the way his eyes widened in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"I just got off the phone with Itachi. He said he wanted to go out for dinner tonight, just the two of us. Said he wants to get to know me better." Sasuke stared blankly at Naruto as he tried to process this new information. Itachi hadn’t said anything to him about wanting to spend time with Naruto, which Sasuke found odd. But then again, his brother had been exceeding his expectations for most of his relationship with Naruto.

Itachi had been unusually tolerant where Naruto was involved. For most of his life, Itachi had been immensely protective of his little brother, and for good reason. Seeing as how Itachi was the only remaining family he had left, Sasuke felt the same way to some degree. But Itachi had a way of taking things to the extreme. When Sasuke was a teenager, Itachi kept very close tabs on him, sometimes without Sasuke even being aware of it. And yet, one thing Itachi never had to worry about was Sasuke’s love life. Sasuke had never really been all that in interested in relationships to begin with, but that’s not to say he never dated anyone. Back then, Sasuke had made it clear that he didn’t have any real attachments to the girls he went out with, so Itachi never felt the urge to step in. Sasuke always figured if he ever showed any genuine feelings for another person, then Itachi would be all over them.

He never expected his brother to be so lenient. Itachi had been the one to encourage his relationship with Naruto in the first place. And this was before he had even met the blonde. For a long time Sasuke had wondered if his brother was just biting his tongue and keeping his opinions to himself as to not hurt his feelings, but now Itachi was purposefully inviting Naruto out for the night with zero prompting from Sasuke. A part of him was glad that his brother was taking an interest in his boyfriend, but at the same time Sasuke couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy. He knew his brother could be… intense, and he didn’t know if Naruto would be able to withstand the pressure.

He already knew his brother made the blond nervous. If things started to take a turn for the worse, Sasuke wouldn’t be there as a buffer to smooth things over. As of now, Itachi and Naruto were the two people he loved most in the world. The thought of them not getting along was a hard pill to swallow.

On the other hand, what if they _did_ hit it off? The stories Itachi could tell the blond about Sasuke’s younger years were endless. It wasn’t very often that Sasuke let embarrassment get the best of him, but if anyone could make it happen, it was his secretly sadistic brother.

No wonder Naruto was so adamant about Sasuke and Kushina not conversing outside of their designated visits. The idea of his family secrets being revealed to a loved one outside of the family was frightening to say the least.

Naruto was still standing there waiting for some kind of positive reaction from Sasuke, but the Uchiha was too busy working himself up over trivial things to give the blond what he wanted. “Itachi said he wanted to spend time with you,” Sasuke slowly repeated what Naruto had told him. “Yeah! That means he doesn’t hate me after all! Isn’t that great?”

Sasuke nodded his head. “Uh huh…”

Naruto quickly caught on to Sasuke’s sour mood and felt a sense of dread wash over him. “Oh my god, he’s going to kill me,” Naruto deadpanned, and Sasuke could see a legitimate fear in the blonde’s eyes. “That’s it, isn’t it? He’s trying to get me alone to exact his revenge! I knew he didn’t forgive me for ruining his pants!”

“Okay, I’m going to forget how strange that sounds and put your mind at ease. My brother is not going to kill you,” Sasuke tried to explain calmly without cracking a smile. “If he says he wants to get to know you better then, you know… he wants to get to know you better.” Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Why don’t you sound sure? What aren’t you telling me? Maybe you should come with us after all.” Before Sasuke could answer any of the blonde’s rapid questions, Naruto had already steered the conversation in an entirely new direction. “What happened to winning my brother over?” Sasuke asked, arching an eyebrow. “What happened to don’t worry he’ll warm up to you,” Naruto quickly countered. “To be fair, the both of you could have put in a little more effort,” Sasuke told him with a pout. “I was scared to meet your parents too, remember? But I still did it.” Naruto didn’t know if the Uchiha was trying to guilt trip him or not, but he still found himself frowning. “And I had _two_ people to impress. You only have one. I’m sure – well, I don’t _think_ Itachi would invite you out just to pick a fight.” Naruto glared at Sasuke’s abrupt change of tone. “It’ll be… fine,” Sasuke continued tentatively. Naruto threw his hands up in the air and exclaimed, “You hesitated again! What the hell!” Sasuke bit his lip in frustration.

It appeared no matter what he did Naruto was just getting more and more worked up. He didn’t know what he could say to make the blonde, and himself, calm down. After a few moments of silence, Naruto let out a low sigh and awkwardly scratched at the back of his head. “Sorry... I’m not trying to make your brother out as a monster or anything. I just really want him to like me.”

“He will,” Sasuke assured him then quickly corrected himself. “He does. Don’t over think it. Just be your usual charming self and everything will be fine.” Naruto cracked a smile and Sasuke could finally feel the both of them start to relax. “I don’t suppose you have any tips for me,” the blonde questioned before making his way over to his boyfriend’s side. Knowing what Naruto was after, Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto’s neck while hands settled on his hips. “Like I said: just be yourself. You don’t need a cheat-cheat.” Naruto smirked before leaning in and stealing a quick kiss. After a second of exchanged glances Sasuke quickly added, “Maybe you shouldn’t bring up his job. He thinks it’s boring so he doesn’t like to talk about it.” Naruto’s deflated expression made Sasuke laugh before he pulled out of the blonde’s grasp and went back to staring in the fridge. Naruto lightly rolled his eyes as he walked over to the coat hanger by the front door to get his jacket. “Hey, why don’t you go out to dinner with someone too?” he suggested helpfully. “That way you won’t have to cook.” Sasuke thought about it for moment and came to the conclusion that he wouldn’t entirely hate having the company. And not having to cook anything was a major sales point. But who could he invite? Hinata’s name was the first that came to mind. They stayed in contact through texting most of the time, but Sasuke preferred face-to-face interaction. He just hoped she didn’t already have plans.

Itachi arrived right on schedule 27 minutes later. When he came to the door and greeted the two of them, Sasuke tried to convey to his brother through a glare that he better behave himself. Completely unaffected as usual, Itachi just smiled and suggested that he and Naruto get going. On their way out, Naruto kissed his boyfriend on the cheek and Sasuke wished them a good time at their dinner. After closing the door, Sasuke pulled out his cell phone and went through his contacts until he found Hinata’s name. He pressed call before heading back into the kitchen and opening a bottom cupboard that held Keiko’s food.

“H-hello…? Sasuke?” Sasuke shifted his phone onto his shoulder and used his shoulder and chin to keep it in place while pouring the cat food into Keiko’s dish. “Hey Hinata. I hope you’re not busy.” Keiko came sprinting out of Sasuke’s room a second later and raced into the kitchen for her supper. Sasuke smiled and patted her on the head before shoving her food back in the cupboard. “O-oh, no. Could you just give me a second? I’m watching a movie with my roommate,” Hinata replied timidly. Sasuke could hear Hinata exchange a few quiet words with who he assumed to be her roommate before he heard shuffling and footsteps moving away from the other voice. “Okay, sorry about that.”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Sasuke said a little guiltily. Hinata giggled as she said, “Oh, don’t worry about it. I hate horror movies anyway. And it was just getting to the gory part too, so really, I should be thanking you.” Sasuke found himself smiling in response. “So what’s up? Is everything alright?”

“Actually, I was wondering if you were free for dinner. Itachi stole my boyfriend for the night so I thought it might be nice to go out with a friend.” After a pause Hinata asked in a curious voice, “your brother stole Naruto?” Sasuke smirked before taking a seat at the dining room table. “It’s a long story.”

“Maybe you could tell me at dinner…?” Hinata asked nervously, as if she wasn’t sure the offer still stood. Sasuke could appreciate the girl’s innocence. It made everything about her so much more genuine. “Absolutely. How about I pick you up at your dorm in 15 minutes?” Sasuke could practically hear the grin in her response.“See you in a bit.”

* * *

 

Itachi had taken Naruto to a nice restaurant, much nicer then Naruto was expecting, and he quickly felt self-conscious about his casual attire. After they were seated, Naruto had expected Itachi to start questioning him, but to the blonde’s surprise, Itachi kept the conversation light and overall pleasant. It seemed the eldest Uchiha really _did_ just want to spend some time with him. They didn’t really talk about anything of importance for the first half of their meal, but it was still a gratifying experience.

They were half way through dessert when Itachi casually asked around a mouthful of apple pie, “How are things between you and Sasuke?” Naruto knew he and Sasuke were better then ever so Itachi’s harmless inquiry didn’t phase him. And it showed in his response. “Things are great. Considering all the shit we went through in the beginning, it’s kind of hard to believe we made it this far. But I sure as hell ain’t complaining.” A rare smile graced Itachi’s lips as he took a sip of his coffee. “I wasn’t worried.” Naruto’s eyebrows lifted, clearly interested in the Uchiha’s admission. “Yeah?”

“It was different with you. Sasuke was different with you. I can’t really explain it. Somehow I just knew everything would work out between you two.” Naruto ducked his head, using his fork to toy with the last few pieces of chocolate cake on his plate. “You didn’t even know me then.”

“But I know my brother. And I know that once he let you in – that was it. You had him.” Naruto felt himself flush from both embarrassment and unadulterated joy. Hearing that from _Itachi_ of all people – the one who had practically raised Sasuke by himself – the one who knew Sasuke better then anyone – was incredibly overwhelming and humbling and _holy shit_ Naruto was not emotionally prepared for this dinner.

“My brother is lucky to have you.”

Naruto was sure he stopped functioning for a good 10 seconds, but he somehow managed to pull himself together long enough to take a casual approach to Itachi’s words. “Nah, Sasuke deserves better then me.” Naruto quickly took a long sip from his drink in hopes of washing away his anxiety, but Itachi seemed keen on complimenting him, no matter how much Naruto felt he didn’t deserve it. “You really shouldn’t sell yourself short. I’m an excellent judge of character.” Naruto didn’t miss the quick smirk on Itachi’s lips. “And so is my brother. He made the right choice.” Itachi was looking him straight in the eye as he said this and Naruto couldn’t believe how stupid he had been for trying to avoid him! So much time had been wasted worrying over whether or not Itachi thought he was good enough for Sasuke. When all along, Itachi had more faith in him then Naruto ever thought was possible. A simple, “...thanks” wasn’t nearly enough to show his level of gratitude, but the blonde said it, regardless.

Itachi once again could sense the blonde’s discomfort, so he changed the subject to something he had been waiting to bring up all evening. “Well, since I am attempting to establish trust between the two of us, I would like to share something personal with you. Something that I haven’t even told Sasuke yet.”

Naruto’s head perked up at this interesting tidbit. “Personal?” He couldn’t imagine Itachi telling him a secret that not even his own brother knew about first.

Itachi smiled again, but it was softer than before, as if he was recalling something fondly in his memories. The expression clearly wasn’t meant for the blonde.“I’ve decided to ask my girlfriend to marry me,” Itachi announced proudly. Naruto’s eyes widened and Itachi chuckled at the child-like wonder in his voice. “Really?” The Uchiha nodded, “Konan and I have been together for many years now, and I want to take that next step with her.” Naruto’s good wishes came from a place of honest sincerity. “That’s awesome! Congratulations!” Itachi smirked, placing his fork onto his plate to signal he had finished eating. “You’re sentiments may be premature depending on her answer, but I appreciate it, all the same.”

“Do you have any ideas on how you’re going to ask?”

Itachi leaned back in his chair, comfortably resting his arms across his chest as he mused aloud, “Konan doesn’t like being the centre of attention, so it’ll probably be something simple and private. I’d prefer it that way, also. It’s trying to put my true feelings into words that is troubling me.”

Naruto could understand that. He had been known to put his foot in his mouth every now and then, too.

“What about you?” Lost in his own thoughts of every instance he had said or done something unfathomably stupid and embarrassing, Naruto was caught off guard by Itachi’s question.

“What about me?”

“Do you have any plans on settling down with Sasuke in the future?” It took Naruto a second to process what he had said, and when he finally did his mouth opened and closed again – he was at a complete loss for words. Itachi looked as if he was trying to repress a chuckle, and Naruto realized the Uchiha was teasing him. “Don’t worry, I’m just kidding,” Itachi said as if to confirm what Naruto had been thinking. The blonde could have relaxed again if it wasn’t for the mischievous twinkle in Itachi’s eye that made Naruto believe maybe he wasn’t 100% joking.

To avoid adding another entry in his mental ‘stupid things I’ve said that got me into trouble’ list, Naruto let out an awkward laugh and chugged the rest of his drink.

* * *

 

Sasuke picked up Hinata at her dorm as promised and after a minute or two of deliberation, they both agreed to try out a nice little diner in the centre of town. Neither one of them felt like conforming to the quid pro quo of a high-class restaurant, so they settled for a happy medium. The two put in their order before sliding into a booth near the back window, both on opposite sides for easier conversation. “I’m glad you invited me out,” Hinata said quietly, removing her jacket and placing it nicely folded beside her. Sasuke looked over the table at her and found himself smiling as he said, “Me too.” Hinata offered a quick nod before leaning her elbows on the table and resting her cheeks against her palms. “So, what’s this about Naruto and your brother?” Sasuke sighed before leaning back in his seat. He found himself fiddling with the salt shaker on the table as he tried to explain the situation as best as he could. “Apparently, my brother is on a mission to bond with Naruto. And he chose tonight to do it.”

Hinata blinked in confusion. "Do the two of them not get along?” She couldn’t picture Naruto not getting along with anyone. “It’s not that they don't get along… I just think it’s hard for them to find some common ground. It’s a weird situation.” Hinata nodded, completely absorbed in what the Uchiha was telling her. “I want them to be friends. I want to share that part of my life with him…” Sasuke suddenly trailed off and his eyes quickly flicked up to meet Hinata’s. He felt hesitant to continue – unsure about being so open with someone who wasn’t his brother - but she smiled a reassuring smile and nodded as if to encourage him to keep going. Sasuke felt safe letting her know his true feelings. “For as long as I can remember, Itachi has been my entire world. But now I have Naruto to think about, too. They're the most important people in my life. I have to figure out how to balance them out.”

“I get it,” Hinata nodded sweetly, “It’s only natural to want the people you love to get along. And they love you too, Sasuke. I’m sure they’ll work it out somehow.” Before Sasuke could say anything else, a woman came over and delivered their tray of food. Hinata once again started the conversation while the both of them unwrapped their burgers. “It’s funny, isn't it?” Sasuke raised an eyebrow before taking a bite of his burger to show her he was listening. “We’ve been in the same book club for months, gone to the same college for a year… and yet somehow we’re only now becoming friends.” Hinata let out a giggle as Sasuke pondered her words. “I guess I have Naruto to thank for that,” Sasuke said with a thoughtful expression. He would like to think that he would have approached Hinata of his own accord eventually – now that he knew what a kind and thoughtful person she was – but he knew that probably wouldn't have been the case. The old Sasuke found solace in his isolation. Naruto had changed that and even encouraged Sasuke to pursue Hinata – incidentally leading to Sasuke sitting here with someone he now considered to be a good friend. It never ceased to amaze him just how much the blonde had changed his life.

“C-can I ask you a question?” Hinata’s hesitant voice broke Sasuke out of his thoughts and he nodded yet again. “When did you realize… Wh-when did you realize you had feelings for him?” Something in the way she asked lead Sasuke to believe that she wasn't asking just to carry on their conversation. Her cheeks tinted a light pink and that was all the evidence Sasuke needed to determine Kiba’s involvement in their current topic.

The Uchiha had already made himself emotionally vulnerable. He didn’t see the point in clamming up now.

“I guess it was the little things,” Sasuke said, popping a French fry into his mouth. “He was always there for me, you know? Even when I didn’t want him to be, even when I treated him terribly, he saw something in me that he decided was worth fighting for.” Hinata's smile mirrored Sasuke’s own reminiscent curve of the lips. “He never gave up on me.” That’s what it all came down to for Sasuke. Not falling in love with Naruto was never an option. He just didn’t know it at the time.

Hinata seemed to be genuinely fascinated by his words, and Sasuke could practically see the wheels turning in her head trying to compare the Uchiha’s relationship to her own relationship with Kiba. Sasuke was hardly one to take an interest, let alone want to talk about someone else's love life, but he wanted to try and take an interest in Hinata’s interest. Even if her interest was that problematic brunette. “How are things going between you and Kiba?” Hinata’s eyes widened and her blush deepened in colour. Clearly, she hadn’t expected Sasuke to turn the tables on her.

“O-oh, g-good. I-I mean it’s okay. We-we’ve hung out a few times but…” Hinata suddenly looked down at her lap and started fiddling with the hem of her shirt. The action was somehow sad and Sasuke found himself frowning. “I don’t really think anything will come of it… I think he sees me as just a friend…” Sasuke felt for the girl. He knew what it was like to have unrequited feelings for someone. It sucked. But in this case, Sasuke was almost certain she had it all wrong. Naruto had never come outright and said that his best friend was in love with Hinata, but from what Sasuke’s heard it was pretty obvious Kiba was interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with her. He didn’t want to butt into their business, but he didn’t see any harm in offering a little encouragement. “Take it from someone who has been there. If you want something, go after it. Don’t let it slip through your fingers. You might just wind up happier then you’ve ever been.”

The truth of his own words struck a chord in Sasuke. A silent understanding passed between the two of them, and Sasuke hoped that Hinata would heed his advice. She deserved to be happy too.

* * *

 

Sasuke and Hinata stopped for ice-cream on the way home, so the Uchiha wasn’t surprised when he found Naruto waiting for him on the couch in their apartment. Naruto greeted him with a warm smile as he asked, “Have fun?” The Uchiha nodded and returned the question while shrugging off his coat. “You?” Naruto’s lips twitched as if he was trying to hide a secret from him. The blonde didn’t immediately burst into tears so Sasuke assumed it wasn’t as bad as they had originally thought. “Did you behave yourself?” Sasuke asked as he plopped down on the couch next to his boyfriend. Naruto pulled one leg up onto the cushions making it easier to turn and face him. "Don’t I always?” he asked with a cheeky grin before propping his head up with his hand, elbow resting on the back of the couch. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “Did Itachi behave himself?”

“Why? You gonna beat him up for me?”

“Probably not.” The two exchanged smiles before Naruto thoughtfully stared up at the ceiling. “He was fine. A little intense, but polite as all hell.” Sasuke couldn’t help but smirk. _Yup. That pretty much describes Itachi Uchiha._ “There was one thing though.” The crease between the blonde’s eyebrows immediately caught Sasuke’s attention and had him on red alert. “What is it...?” Maybe he would have to beat up Itachi after all.

Naruto didn’t want to break this new found trust he had with the eldest Uchiha, so he decided to leave out the part about Itachi getting engaged and went straight to the point, if only to watch the Uchiha sputter. “I think your brother wants to marry us.”

Naruto wasn’t disappointed when Sasuke opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again to let out a huff before angrily running out of the room to call his brother.

All in all, it was a good night.


End file.
